Use of Frequency-Domain Concepts in the Analysis and Design of Mechanical Vibrating Systems

This paper investigates the frequency-domain approach for some useful types of analysis and design related to problems of mechanical vibration. First, some attractive features of the frequency-domain analysis are noted. The possibility of a unified approach to analysis is indicated through the existence of analogies between mechanical and non-mechanical systems. The uses of mechanical impedance and transmissibility functions in the modeling, analysis, and design of mechanical vibrating systems are illustrated. Applications in the design of vibration isolators and in the analysis of material damping are given to demonstrate the attractive characteristics of some frequency-domain techniques in the field of mechanical vibration. The manner in which the material presented in the paper may be incorporated into an undergraduate core course in mechanical vibration is indicated.